Heat treating apparatus for metal work



April 18, 1933. H. ROSENBERG 1,904,333

HEAT TREATING APPARATUS FOR METAL WORK Filed April 29, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3mm H EYMAN RUE ENBERE April 18, 1933. H. ROSENBERG 1,904,833

HEAT TREATING APPARATUS FOR METAL WORK Filed April 29, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 r b 5 n R W E d DU 6 N E 5 0m: a U O: 7 Mn; m: o N NE W o A o w: M o I .1\ o o 1 I15 q V1 E a mm 2 E 6 r mm" W I D H ua H i 6 MW ,1 I'll. L 0 x ,v: w .wm fl/ 4 ME \x D Mm: 7 /0! m? In... ill H mi April 18, 1933.

H. RQSENBERG HEAT TREATING APPARATUS FOR METAL WORK Filed April 29, 1930 l 3 Sheets-Sheet W m2 m2 2 5 ..i o: 00- m9 3mm HEYMAN RUEENBER/E,

Patented Apr. 18, 1933 r r nE MAN nosn BpRG or HEATYTREA'ITING Arrenarus'ron imrui, w -gg I p f Ai pplication filed Aprils :29,

This invention rela'tesfto improvements'in apparatus for'l hardening 'inet'al yvork, and more; particularly :for case-hardening series a or groups of relatively small parts, such as SCifeWS, fnailS, nuts, buckles,-small tools, and

thelikefl ,v i :1; Among the objects inview is the improve-- 7 ment of apparatus disclosed in myco-pending applications for patents as "follows: Se: rial No. 37 25457 filed June 20, 1929now Patent/ N0. 1 ,786,508, dated December 30, 1930; Serial No; 380,350, filed July 23, 1929 now Patent No. 1,806,350, dated May 19,] 1931; Serial No. 3945830, filedSeptember 24, 1929 now Patent No; 1,874,122, dated August 3.0, 1932'; Serial No. 394,831,filed September 24, 1929, now Patent No.1,834,872, dated"Deceinber 1, 1931, and Serial No. 394,832, filed September 24,1929. I 1

In greater detail, anobject ofthe present invention is the forced eliminationof'exhaust products by apparatus so arranged as to Ob? viate danger of excess heating ofthe moving parts, and other objects are the l, automatic opening andclosing of thedischarge door; the effective stopping of, the quench tray in the discharging position; theeasy and eflective disposal of the thermofc'ouple during a work-discharging operation, and the connecting of parts to facilitate assemblage and dismantling;-

l l 3 Withthes'e and furtherobjects in view as will in parthereinafterbec'oine apparent and in part be stated, theinvention comprises, certain novel constructions; combinations, and arrangements of parts asrsubsequently specified and claimed A y I In the accompanyingfdrawings,7 Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a heat treating apparatus for work embody ing the features of the present invention, parts being broken away and seen-Jill sec? tion. a r 1 Figure 2 is atop plan view thereof. ,Figure 3 is a verticalsection taken approximatelyon the planes indicated-by line of Figure 1, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. V a Figure 4 is ahorizontal section taken ap- 'autoinaticdooropener and trayjst op. l

1930. Serial in. 443,349;

proxiinately "on i lline" 4cv4,of Figu re 1 and lookingupward. I

igureis as ectional plan showing the} wFigure 6 ."is'a detailed, .fragrnenta'ryfsecl- 5 5' tion taken approximatelyon the plane indi f catedby line 6- 6pfFigure'1;

Referring; to the drawings 91 is the furnace liousingadapted for-use of Y any appropriate fuel,a-gassupplyzbeinge in J :d icatedat 92, preferably controlled in air I dilution in the customary nannerrby the" air mixer 93. Furnace 91 has the cover plate 94 1 having the. usual central aperture and supl, portinga superimposed hearth-like, struca 49,

'ture consisting of annularplates 95 and 96, rabbeted to interlock and present a 's'ubstantiallymooth upper/surface inclined and converging lto the aperture of a plate 94.; The

inner margin of annularfplate 96is also pref :79 erablyrabbetedg-to;accommodate the "Supiporting I flange ate the upper end of thegpot v 97 for-the;;-cyanide or other'salts; so that the upper surfac'e of said gflange is substantially 1 continuous of the-upper surface of the rings- 35 951 andY96lf; Thus, any drip of molten salts} will, dra-ins back into the pot 97v The plate a 94 is provided at one edge withpendentpore a tions perforated to provide eyes 98,'98, j' whichjithe gpintle like shaft 99. is? journaled..:9 The vshaft i99 is keyed or otherwise fixed to 0 I a lever arm or plate 100, which'carries the reticulatedwork containing basket 101. The basketmaybe fixed to the plate 100 in any of variousways, but is preferablyarranged I to have a head: at its uppergend resting in an ann'ularrabbet 102in the outer'end pore tion of the plate: 100 surrounding the open ing' in the'jplate, and; appropriate clamps 103 gripiand retain the basket in saidrabbet so that ethe" basketwill move as the plate 100- is; swung incident to" rocking movements of shaft 99.- At theerear end of the shaft 99a counterbalance vveight 104 is preferablyad T p justably fixed to counterbalance the weight of the levergplate 100, andthe forward end of the shaft99 carries a worm gear 105ineshingi witha worm 106 carriedbyagstubtshaft l 107," and having abeveled gear l08 meshing with. an appropriate beveled -gear 109 I per end of chute crating wheel 111.

ried by a shaft to which is fixed the op- Thus, when the wheel 111 is rotated, the lever plate 110 will be swung and the worm gear will serve to sustain the parts in any given position Without requiring the operator to retain his grip on any part of the operating wheel .111. Draining back of molten salts from basket 101 may thus be accomplished with facility, and any other operations will .be. made. convenient which require the lever plate 108 to be sustained in other positions than the lowered position of Figure 1. A housing 112 preferably encloses the operating gears for pintle shaft 99, andpart-s of said housing provide journal bearings as required. Exhaust products from the burner of furnace 91 escape through an exhaust'pipe 113, which is provided with an upwardly discharging portion "and a by-pass portion 114. An appropriate gate valve 115 serves to close either the upwardly discharging'portion or the by-pass 114 as required. A' basket 116 is arranged in the lineof discharge from the upwardly discharging portion of discharge pipe 113, so that Work may be located in the basket and preheated by the exhaust from furnace 91.- A chute 117 upstands from basket 116, and the chute and basket are fixed toa shaft 118 journaled in the frame 119'in position to be swung to a location with the normally up- 117 disposed immediately above the'basket 101 so as to deliver work to the basket. As previously disclosed, su-

perimposed on the furnace'91 is preferably a housing 120, which, of course-,is' provided with an opening closed by the chute 117 when the chute is in the upright position and enabling the chute to swing to and from its discharging position. A door 121 is preferably provided for the side of the housing to enable access thereto as and when required, and a transparent plate 122-may be provided in the door to facilitate visualinspection of interior conditions'without opening the door. The housing 120 is provided with a vertical slot alongside the door 121, which slot is closed by a relatively long slender door 123, and the parts are apertured at 124 and 125 at the lower and upper ends ofthe door 123. A thermocouple 126 has its lower end portion normally extending into the pot 97 to an appropriate aperture inthe lever plate 100, the upper portion of the thermocouple extending through the lower aperture 124. Obviously, the thermocouple is a part of any well known and accepted pyrometer, not illustrated. When the lever plate 100 is tobe moved it is necessary, of course, to withdraw the thermocouple, and, for this purpose, the door-123 is opened and the thermocouple lifted until its upper portion liesin the aperture 125, and the door 123 isthen closed. The thermocouple thus will rest on the upper end of door 123 and sustain its parts out'of the line ofmovemont of the lever plate 100 and parts connects thereto. At one side of and preferablysubstantial-V ly below the upper surface of the furnace 91 is arranged the quenching vat127, which vat is provided with a superimposed housing 128 having the door 129 similar inform and function to door 121. Each of the housings 120 and 128 is preferably provided at its back portion with a sliding gate 130 having an operating handle 131 by which the respective gate is adapted to be slid upward to afford access to the interior of thehousingfor facilitating repair or other operation within the respective housing. Between the housings is arranged the closure .or vesti- 134 having its rear portion keyed or othery wise appropriately fixedto the pintle-like shaft 135 having a counterbalance 136.,ad-

jus ably fixed to the rear end of the shaft to counterbalance the weight of thetray 134 and parts carried thereby. Gearing similar to gearing 105, 106,107, and 108 arearranged in the housing 137 to connect the operating shaft 138 with the shaft 135. An operatwheel 139 is carried by the shaft 138 to facilitate oscillation of shaft 135300 swing the basket 134 from its position the vat 1.27 to its discharging position. The basket 134 is, of course, reticulated and provided with'bafiie 140- for segregating articles of work-entering the vat and for preventing back splashing towardthe furnace- A supply pipe 141 discharges into were? to deliver the fluid of the quench, which may be water, oil, or other appropriate liquid.- Asuitable drain 142 is provided for the vat."

The housings 120 and 128 are completely closed, and, in order to enable a discharging action oftray 134, a door 143 isProvided and hinged at an upperportion of the hous ing 128 toclosethe side of the'housing through which the tray moves. A link 144 connects a part of the frame of tray 134 pivotally with the door 143, and preferably a pair of links 144 is employed, oneat'each side of the tray 134. Each link is pivoted'at its lower end. at 145,toa side bar of the tray 134, and again pivoted at its upper end, at 146, to an appropriate bracket detachably fixed to door 143 by a bolt engaged by a winged nut 147. A cross bar 148 is fixed to the tray 134, and has its'end portions extendpreferred discharging position.

ing. beyond the side of the trayisufliciently to bepositioned for engaging the. edges of the respective links 144 as the tray reaches its :The housings 120. and 128 'aregclosed at their'upper ends by appropriate hoodsf149' and 150, respectively, each convergingto a discharge flue 151 and l52,frespectively; Each of said flues is preferably-provided with, an appropriate slide dampen 153' for controlling thedischarge through the flues. The fiues 151 and 152 lead to anddischarge into amixing housing 154, which mixing housing is 'in direct communicationwith the intake side 155v ofa forced draft fan; or blower 156,which receives themixecl products from flues 151and 2,"and discharges the same through a flue 157; The fan, orblower may be drivenhin" anyyappropriatemanner, but preferablyby a 'motorf158 mounted ona bracket 159,vwhich bracket 1 also provides the support for the blower-156. Bracket 1591s sustained bya standard 160 fixed toj andzup standing from the main cover plate 94 of I to ' furnace 91,- but, of course, maybe otherwise arranged, or any other appropriate support may be provided asdesired for the blower and its cooperatingparts;

The vestibule portion :132 is proportioned to snugly accommodate movements of the lever plate 100, andan extensionis provided tending to a position overhanging the vat 124, which hood 161 further assists in jpre venting back splashing into the furnace'housing; and aids in shutting aloffcommunicatlo'n between the housings while=the1plate10Ois withinthehoodf' It is obvious, of course,,that any appropriatereceiving means may beprovided onto or :into which? the discharge' from' tray 134 may occur, one acceptable construction consisting of a hopper 162 sustained on, an appropriate framework 163 and preferably discharging into a bucket-like container or other receptacle 164located beneath thedischargemouthof hopper 162. p i

The operation a is substantially; the same temperature, and, whenfthat has been reached, thev door 133 will be opened, there mo-couple136 willbe lifted, and the door The pyrometer will then beifwatchedl 33 closed with thelithermocouple inethe Y opening 125;, Then the operator, will rotate the wheel x111 sufficiently for lifting'basket 101' out of. the m-olten'salts: in: pot '97. The

operator stops the upward movement assoon as the basket 101 is: clean-"and all-ows'Ldrainage, so that moltensalts willinot be carried 1 over into the quenching bath so far as avoid- 1 able. After the drainage-has been completed,

which only requires a moment, the operator f continues to move; thejwheeh lll "until the lever plate] 100 reaches the discharging po sition, as indicated] in dottedlinesfigTheptray' 134'is preferablyprovided with 1a stopqbar,

as shown, to prevent undesirable ior:-excessive movement ot the lever 101 and'i its car ried parts L after reaching the discharging position. Assoon']. as {all ofthework. has been discharged from the basket5I1Ol',' ithe] opergf ator reverses the movement and returns the basket 'to v its lposition for receivin apnea; To charge of work." [As sooni'as thebasket has been loweredlinto the vat or pot 97 ,and-the work has'been' supplied tothepbasket,ithedoor 123 is 1 again opened and thethermocoupie 1'26 lowered until its 'thermically responsivea resistance isulocated appropriately in lthe j 1,

molten salts to indicatetheitemperaturejjofe I the work; Obviously, if the,worlr jis-beiiig p.- delivered by handthroughthefdoor"121,lthe i charge of workmayfwellribe introducediinto the-basket 101 before it is actually lowered into the molten salts, and: splashin oft-the salts tvill thus be largely obviated, fiowevcri,

when splashing occurs, g draining;back-into vat 97 will'be-facilitatedfby theshape of'the parts and thus but a minimum: amount of the "salts Willfbe lost. However, {though the draftsman' for clearance of disclosure has shown jthei. joints betweenth-e rings or an nul-ar plates and "96'and-tbetwe'en plat/e196 winsand the flange of thevat97 asopenyit is, of; I

course, to beunderstood' that thesplace or crack in each instance will be filled withvan' appropriate" cement so Jaslto present a goontinuous, smooth surface; The work, as it "discharges mm 1 the ,baekeexi cefids and strikes the baflle 140, fand'is; separated and i segregated bythe vanes of the bafile,:i so that each article of work is freedfrom theiimmediate. influence of close contact with ,other articles of work, "and ieach articleispfthere fore, separately quenched: under conditions H 1 substantially identical withithose of all the other articles of work, and mass chilling .of Workjis avoided.v Thus,l there is no? danger of parts ofthe w-ork'within a body or mass retaining heat longer-thangother' partspand,

therefore not receivin the same de 'r-ee of quenching action. 1 As theworkTisquenched,

it"s'ettlesto the bottom of tray 134, and as soon aslever 1001andjitsconnecteclparts are 139 for swinging the "tray 134 jtocthe 'fdis} charging position-. As the tray beginsftoi Out or the'way,the operator r'ot-ates thei'wheel i ascend in its swinging movement, the links 144cause thetdoor 143 to swing outward in advanceof the tray, and this movement continues until the bar 148 strikes the links 144. In this position, the discharge occurs and is practically instantaneous and simultaneous with the striking of links 144 by bar 148. Meanwhile, the baffle 140 will have swung to its open position to allow free discharge. Of course, it is understood that the work during thecourse of the upward swing of the tray134 'will have traveled along the surface of the tray toward the pivot, and will dropout of the tray nearest the pivot. As soon as the work has beenidischarged from the tray, the operator reverses the movement I of the wheel 139 and the links 144 cause the door 143 to move positively back to its closed position with-out clashing with or striking the tray.

' During all of the operation, the blower 1.56 will bein action, and the cooler vapors rising in the housing'128 will mix in the mixing housing 154 with the hotter products rising in. housing 120', and will thereby re- .du'ce the temperature of the latter to a mean temperature below a point of danger or likelihood of injury to the hearings: or other moving parts of the blower and its actuator. It should "be apparent that the apparatus is of especially compact construction affording maximum work capacity with the occupation of a minimum area, and the advantages incident to this feature are accentuated by the fact that it is not only thoroughly practicable, but'is being practiced toarrange plants in tandem or batteries, whereby a furnace and quenching vat are arranged at both sides instead of merely at one side of the re ceiving hopper 162, or its equivalent, so that a discharge of hardened articles will be received by the hopper first from one side and then from the other, and this tandem arrangement enables even greater compactness and greater productivity in smaller area than occurs with the single plant as illustrated in the drawings, though the compactness and efficiency of the latter are very great.

As pointed out in detail in -my previous constructions, it isdesirable to provide an appropriate handle, such aslever 165,- to actuate the rock shaft 118 for swinging the chute to and from its discharging position, and a stop 166 is preferably located to outstand from the end ofbasket 116 to engage frame 119 as the chute 117 reaches the discharging position so as to prevent undesirable or excessive inward movement of the chute. What is claimed is I v 1. In heat treating apparatus for metal work, the combination, with a furnace and salts vat,rof a housing for the space above the furnace for confining and directing fumes-rising from the furnace and vat, said housing having an elongated, relatively narrow opening adapted to enable movement of a pyrometer thermocouple to and from a position in the vat, and a door for said opening, the parts being apertured to accommodate said thermocouple in eitherv of its positions. p c

2. In-heat treating apparatus formetal work, the combination, with a furnace and a housing for the space above the work, of a pivotally mountedlever located to swing in said housing to and from a'position overhanging the furnace, said. lever having an aperture in that portion adapted to over- ,hang the furnace, andbeing provided with a rabbet abeutthe margin of the aperture, a work basket extending through the aperture 'and'having a terminal bead located. in said 'rabbet, and 'means for securing the head in the rabbet. v

3. In heat treating apparatus for metal work, the combination, with a. furnace and a vat adjacent the furnace, of means for moving work from the furnace to the vat, a housing for the space above the furnace, and a housings being arranged to accommodate movement of the work-moving means, and

.90, housing for'the space above, the vat, said ticulated work holder tray in the vat, means for swinging the tray to and from a position in the vat and to and from a discharging p0: sit-ion beyond the vat, a housing for the space above the vat having a doorway for accommodating discharging movement of the, tray, a door mounted to close said doorway, and means of engagement between the tray and door for shifting the door to an open position as the tray moves toward a discharging'position.

5. In heat treating apparatus for metal work, the combination, with a furnace and a quenching vat, of housings for the space above the furnace and vat, means intercommunicating thehousings, means movable in said housings and intercommunicating means for delivering work from the furnace to" the vat, a'hood foreach of the housings, a flue foreach of the hoods, a mixing chamber 

